Chicago group says Illinois officials break laws as they blast Trump
[August 13, 2025]
By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square
(The Center Square) – Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson says he and Gov.
J.B. Pritzker are on the same page about President Donald Trump not
having authority to send National Guard troops to the city.
Trump called Pritzker and Johnson “incompetent” on Monday and suggested
that he could send the National Guard to reduce violence in Chicago.
Mayor Brandon Johnson said at his press availability Tuesday that the
president does not have the legal authority to send federal troops to
Chicago.
“He is provoking on sending federal troops, the National Guard, into
cities to plunder them, though those entities do not have policing
power. So, they can’t even do the very thing that he claims he wants
them to do. You talk about incompetence,” Johnson said.
At a separate event the previous day, Pritzker said the president did
not have the legal right to send troops to Chicago and suggested that
Trump was trying to tear down a constitutional republic.
Johnson was asked what he would do if the president did send troops to
the city.
“Look, the governor and I, we’re on the same page here, and so, legal
action will be on the table,” Johnson said.
Illinois state Senate candidate Patrick Harlan said the mayor and the
governor are the ones breaking laws.
“J.B. Pritzker allowing Texas Democrats to flee to this state, because
not only are we a sanctuary state for illegals, we’re also a sanctuary
state for rogue politicians,” Harlan told The Center Square.
Harlan is a Republican running in the 36th Illinois Senate District. He
was critical of Texas Democrats fleeing to Illinois to break a quorum
for votes on new Texas legislative maps. Warrants in Texas have been
issued for the absconding Democrats arrest.
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Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson during a news conference Tuesday, May
20, 2025
Chicago Mayor's Office | Facebook
According to Johnson, Trump took away $830 million of funding from
community violence prevention and intervention.
“These are individuals that are on the front line in these
particular communities, preventing crime, preventing retaliation
from taking place, building relationships,” Johnson said.
Chicago Flips Red President Zoe Leigh said it would be insane for
the federal government to send more money for crime-prevention
programs.
“We had $158 million in crime prevention since he’s been in office,
and we have nothing to show for it,” Leigh told The Center Square.
After four mass shootings were reported in the last month, including
two last weekend, Chicago Flips Red Vice President Danielle
Carter-Walters said the city needs the president to send in the
National Guard.
“This is orchestrated chaos. If you look at the SAFE-T Act, if you
look at no cash bail, soft-on-crime policies, this is what the
Democratic Party [does], this is what they want,” Carter-Walters
said.
Carter-Walters disagreed with Johnson saying crime is down and said
crimes involving non-citizen migrants are not reported.
“They’re playing with the numbers,” Carter-Walters said.
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